Watts Valley Cemetery, Trimmer, Fresno County, CA Compiled by Charles M. Ashley and Betty Ashley, who live in Watts Valley. (scriblerus@psnw.com) Transcribed March 15, 2004 Submitted 30 Mar 2004 Located about a half mile southwest of the intersection of Watts Valley and Maxon Roads, on private property. To get there driving from Fresno or Sanger, one can take two routes: (1) From the intersection of Academy Avenue and Ashlan Avenue, drive east on Ashlan and continue past River Bend Avenue, about a quarter mile beyond which Ashlan turns about 45 degrees left (northeast) and becomes Watts Valley Road. Continue on Watts Valley Road approximately 10 miles to the intersection of Watts Valley and Pittman Hill Roads (a corral is at the intersection) and turn right on Watts Valley Road. Continue approximately seven and one-half miles until you see (at left) an address sign reading 30500. Take the next right (a couple of hundred more feet) onto a dirt road and continue for about one-half mile past two residences on the left and through a gate and over a cattle guard. At this point the cemetery will be visible on a hill on the left side of the road. If you get to the intersection of Watts Valley and Maxon, you have gone too far. (2) From Fresno or Clovis, travel east on Highway 168 to Sample Road. Turn right (east) on Sample and continue approximately five miles to the intersection of Sample and Pittman Hill Roads. Turn right on Pittman Hill and continue approximately one and one-half miles to the intersection of Pittman Hill and Watts Valley Roads. (There is a corral at the intersection.) Turn left (east) on Watts Valley Road. Continue approximately seven and one-half miles until you see (at left) an address sign reading 30500. Take the next right turn (a couple hundred more feet) on a dirt road and continue for about one-half mile past two residences on the left and through a gate and over a cattle guard. At this point the cemetery will be visible on a hill on the left side of the road. If you get to the intersection of Watts Valley and Maxon, you have gone too far. The cemetery is on private property. So it's best to give notice to the landowners before visiting the cemetery. I don't want to cause them bother, so I will take care of this part. Please contact me by email or at (559) 855-6376 and leave a message. I will then contact the landowners and make arrangements. I also have uncovered an old record at the California Room of the Fresno County Free Library, which adds one name to the records and clears up one mystery. This record (May 1965) was originally published in the Ash Tree Echo. I don't know the date of the issue. It is now available in v.1 of a three-volume set of articles and records published in ATE, Fresno County Historical Articles from the Ash Tree Echo 1966-2000 (pp. 250-1), available in the California Room at the Fresno County Free Library. The record from ATE quotes Mrs. Faye McMurtry (now deceased), "at one time there were about one hundred grave sites." Mrs. McMurtry was a life-long resident and would have known this. Faye and her husband Leight were old family friends of ours. She lived for many years in the house a few hundred yards west of the cemetery, within easy viewing distance, and many of her relatives are buried there. In any case, this record adds one record and clarifies another: Louis J. Houser (1870-1946) is also buried here. He was the son of John Neeley Houser and Lucinda (Hole) Houser, of the extensive Hole family prominent in Watts Valley from about 1875 until a little after the turn of the 20th Century. William Hole brought his extended family (he had at least twn children) to California from Ohio in the early 1870's and settled in Watts Valley about 1875 or a little earlier. The surnames Rice, Houser, Brandon, Qualls--all are intermarried with the Holes. The 1965 record also clears up the mystery caused by the broken marble stone on which I could only read "___na." According to the 1965 document, This at one time read "Leona A." for Leona A. Hole. ********************************************************************** These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ********************************************************************** Marble Stone: Harry W. HOLE; Died May 25, 1897; 22 yrs. old ______na [name incomplete] HOLE; Died 8-25-1884 Aged 9 mos old Children of J.B. and E.T. HOLE Large Granite Stone: John B. HOLE; April 11, 1841; Sept. 6, 1914 Elizabeth T. HOLE; Jan. 10, 1842; April 20, 1922 Small Granite: C.B. WATTS; 1826 - 1907 Large Granite: John Wesley RICE; April 27, 1885; Feb. 28, 1894 Large Marble: Dorcie B. WILLIAMS; Died 2 -13 - 1895, Aged 22 years; Asleep in Jesus. Large Marble, similar to previous stone: west side: Beuna V. Buchanan; Dec. 17, 1873, June 19, 1902 “Weep not, father and mother, for me, For I am waiting in glory for thee.” East side: Bessie D. Craghead; June 25, 1878-Mar. 3, 1890; “How desolate our home bereft of thee.” Largest Granite: (one name each side) James BURROUGH; 1876 - 1892 W.H. (William Henry) BURROUGH; 1836 - 1910 Wiley BURROUGH, 1811 - 1891 Three Small Granites: J.B.; W.B.; H.B. Concrete: Lulu BURROUGHS; 1933 Concrete: Mamie McMURTRY; 1916 - 1946 Under Tree: John BURROUGH Concrete Stones (under tree by South Fence): Sarah McMURTRY; 1843 - 1934 Under Tree: Molly WATTS Laurence HIGGINS; 1904 - 1940 William F. McMURTRY; 1887 - 1940 Twelve markers of wood or metal - - all illegible